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Definition of hiatus
1a : a break in or as if in a material object : gap the weedy hiatus between the town and the railroad — Willa Cather the hiatus between the theory and the practice of the party — J. G. Coltonb biology : a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ
2a : an interruption in time or continuity : break; especially : a period when something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted after a 5-year hiatus from writing a summer hiatusb : the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound
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hiatus was our Word of the Day on 05/13/2012. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of hiatus in a Sentence
The band is making an album again after a five-year hiatus.
steam was rising from an hiatus in the ground
Recent Examples of hiatus from the Web
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After a six-year hiatus from the couture world, Alaïa staged its big comeback today with the help of Naomi Campbell.
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The move comes during the summer hiatus in England’s Premier League.
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There was a three-year hiatus between Salt-N-Pepa’s past two albums.
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With pregnant Serena Williams on hiatus, the women’s Wimbledon title is up for grabs.
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Once a wildly popular minister from the ruling Likud party, Saar, 50, declared a hiatus from political life more than two and a half years ago.
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In April, Beijing finally normalized relations with Oslo after a six-year hiatus.
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After quickly becoming a weeknight Huntsville musical must-do, the Dave Anderson & Friends Tuesday Night Jams weekly show at The Kiln went on hiatus.
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After several years on hiatus, the beloved Lake Murray event returns this year with a full day of live music followed by a fireworks display set to a custom soundtrack.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hiatus'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Hiatus comes from "hiare," a Latin verb meaning "to gape" or "to yawn," and first appeared in English in the middle of the 16th century. Originally, the word referred to a gap or opening in something, such as a cave opening in a cliff. In the 18th century, Laurence Sterne used the word humorously in his novel Tristram Shandy, writing of "the hiatus in Phutatorius's breeches." These days, "hiatus" is usually used in a temporal sense to refer to a pause or interruption (as in a song), or a period during which an activity is temporarily suspended (such as a hiatus from teaching).
Origin and Etymology of hiatus
Latin, from hiare to yawn — more at yawn
HIATUS Defined for English Language Learners
hiatus
playDefinition of hiatus for English Language Learners
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: a period of time when something (such as an activity or program) is stopped
Medical Dictionary
hiatus
playMedical Definition of hiatus
: a gap or passage through an anatomical part or organ; especially : an opening through which another part or organ passes (such as the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus and vagus nerves pass)
Learn More about hiatus
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See words that rhyme with hiatus Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hiatus Spanish Central: Translation of hiatus Nglish: Translation of hiatus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hiatus for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hiatus
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